Plate-spring friction.



T-. H. SYMINGTON.

PLATE SPRING rmcnow.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 30,1915.

1,292,536. Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS- SHEET I.

T. H. SYIVIING TON.

PLATE SPRING FRICTION.

APPLICATJON FILED MAR 30.1915.

1,292,536. Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. SYMINGTON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

PLATE-SPRING FRICTION.

Application filed March 30, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. SYMING- TON, a citizen-of the UnitedStates of America, residing at city of Rochester, county of Monroe,State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPlate-Spring Friction, of which the following is a specification.

The subject of this invention is draft rigging of the type. in which theshocks in drawing and bufling are absorbed by yielding resilient meansinclosed within a box or casing. The invention relates to theconstruction of the casing, the details thereof, the manner of mounting,supporting and guiding the casing and the draft gear parts, and also tothe arrangement of the shockabsorbing members within the casing, themeans for guiding, supporting and holding said members, pplying thestresses thereto and taking up and preventing wear of the parts.

The use of a heavy, solid cast-iron box for inclosing a series of setsof plate springs for use in railway draft rigging is well-known, butapplicant has devised a new and improved type of box which is built upof a number of light sections which can be produced at a comparativelysmall cost. It is also conveniently assembled and can be taken downinstantly to remove and change the springs and spacers when they fail.The spring box is also provided with new and improved means of simpleand cheap construction whereby the springs are retained in position andat the same time left freely accessible to the followers for the receiptand transmission of drawing and buffing stresses. In addition to beinglight, partially flexible and easily taken'down, the box which is thesubject of this invention is so designed that it is constructed ofpartswhich can be made of pressed steel and conveniently and cheaply rolledand cut from that metal.

Other features of the invention are found in the provision of means onthe side of the box for supporting the horizontal yoke and acorresponding flange on the sills for guiding the yoke and holding theparts in position; the use of a double set of springs of half theordinary width with a central partition in the box to hold them inposition; and the use of'a plurality of spring boxes, closed at one endand open at the other end, with varying numbers of sets of springs ineach box so that if one or more of the springs Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Serial No. 17,988.

ous features of my invention in the form in.

which they have first been developed by me.

F gure 1 1s a central, vertical, longitudinal section through the draftgear, including the spring box;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken vertically, half on theline AB and the other half on the line CD of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the spring box with the springs removed;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the spring box with the springs removed;

F 5 is a longitudinal, vertical, central section of a spring casingconsisting of two boxes having their inner ends closed and abuttingagainst each other;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse vertical section, half on the line E-Fand half on the line G-G of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings by numerals; the structure illustratedincludes a drawbar 1 with a tension member shown in the form of ahorizontal yoke 2 inclosing a front follower 3 and a rear follower 4.Between the followers, within the yoke, in Fig. 1, I have shown twoseries of plate springs 5 within a spring box 10 having a central,-vertical, longitudinal partition 16 separating and guiding the twoserieslof springs 5. Each series, in the form of the invention shown inFigs. 1 to 4, is formed of four sets of platesprings the springs of eachbeing placed in contact. The sets of springs are separated by a doubleconvex filler block 9 in the center. and two double concave fillerblocks 8 between the end and intermediate sets on each side of thecenter. The followers bear on the centers of the springs outside of thefront and rear sets and the drawing and bufiing stresses tend to flexthe springs and transmit the tension from set to set, and thence,through the followers to the sills in the usual manner.

The spring box 10 is of particular interest in that the top, bottom andsides are separately formed, the top and bottom plates 12 and 13 beingflat and preferably tween the front and rear set is a doubleflanged attheir lateral edges, the turned edges terminating in ears 14: which areapertured to receive transverse pins. 11, four in number one at the topand one at the bottom at each end which hold the plate springs in placeand secure the parts of the box in their assembled relation. The sidesare also in the form of flat plates 15 apertured at the corners toreceive the pins 11 and cut away at the front and rear to permit thefollowers to project within the box and flex the springs, seeparticularly Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

As has been stated, the spring box is preferably open-ended and formedof these four plates held in assembled position by four transverse pins11 which in turn engage the ends of the outside springs of the end sets,and hold the springs in position in the box, displacement of the pins 11being prevented by ootters 17 In addition to these features, thedrawings show the sides of the box provided with horizontal flanges 20which engage the horizontal yoke 2 from beneath and support it. The boxitself is supported on the transverse bottom plate 22, bellied down toaccommodate the draft gear, and secured at its ends to the oppositesills. The yoke is guided from above and the parts, including thesprings, held in position by means of horizontal flanges 21, shown in.the form of angle irons secured to the inner faces of the sills 7.

In order-to prevent the springs 5 from cutting through the bottom of thebox as they work back and forth in being flexed first in one directionand then the other in drawing and buffing, the bottom of the box isprotected by means of Ion itudinal wear plates 18, one on each side 0the partition- 16, shown as held in position by means of rivets 19.

, Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, I have shown a casing which inassembled form is similar in outline to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, butin the construction and operation of the two, there are importantdifl'erences. The casing, in this instance numbered 25, is formed of twoseparate members 23' and 24, each shown as a box formed in a singlepiece,

I closed at one end and open at the other. The

sections are of unequal length, the shorter 23 holding a single set ofsprings or two sets side by side, separated by a central partition,being engaged at the center by the follower 3 on one side and on theother side being engaged at the ends, by a concave filler block 26. Theother section 24 contains two sets of springs, one in' front of theother, which may be divided longitudinally by a vertical partition 27,so that there are two series side by side, each series being formed oftwo sets, one in front of the other. Be-

concave filler block 8. One set of each series meaese bears centrallyagainst the rear follower 4 and the other set is engaged centrally by aconvex filler block 28 which rests on the closed end of the box as doesthe filler block 26 on the closed adjacent end of the other box. Thebottom of each box may be protected by means of a wear plate 18, asshown in the form previously described.

By the use of two boxes thus assembled within the yoke between thefollowers, it is made possible to so grip the springs that breakage ofone spring does not make it necessary to remove the entire set or seriesof sets in order to replace the broken spring. Aside from this, theseparated units are more convenient to handle on account of the weight,andon account of the considerable weight of the springs and casing, thisis an important consideration; the other features of the structure maybe used with or without the central partitions 27 and 16. Without thispartition, full width springs are used.

I have thus described structures embodying my invention in'the form inwhich it has been reduced to practice, in order that the nature andoperation of the device may be fully understood; however, the specificterms herein are used in their descriptive,

rather than in their limiting sense, and the scope of the invention isdefined in the claims.

I claim- 1. In a draft gear, a draw bar, front and rear followers,tension members at the sides secured to the draw bar, a spring boxinclosed between the tension members and the followers, springs andspacer blocks within the box, the box being open at the ends andhavingtransverse removable pins at the top and bottom to hold thespringsin position.

2. In a draft gear, a spring box provided with vertical plate springsand spacer blocks to flex the springs, the box having a bottom wall tosupport the springs, and a hardened wear plate secured to the bottom ofthe box and engaging the ends of the springs to pre vent wear of thebox.

3. In a draft gear, a spring box open at tively to the box at the ends,the box having a central longitudinal partition and two series of springplates and spacer blocks, one on each side of the partition.

4. In a draft gear, a draw bar, a tension member secured to the draw barand having an opening, a spring casing within the opening composed oftwo sections each in the form of a box open at one end and closed at theother, the closed ends being juxtaposed, followers at the front and rearopenings, one box having a set of springs engag ing the follower and aspacer block engaging the other side of the same set and in contact withthe closed end of the box, the other box having a set of springsengaging the follower at that end, a double concave filler block incontact with the opposite side of the same set of springs, a second setof springs between the concave filler block and the closed end ofthebox, and a convex filler block engaging the closed end of the box andbearing'against the opposite side of the latter set of springs.

5. In a draft gear, a draw bar, front and rear followers, tensionmembers at the sides of the draw bar and followers, a spring boxinclosed between the tension members and followers, the box being formedof four metal sheets having apertures in alinemerit and transverse pinspassing through the apertures to hold the box in assembled position,

springs and spacer blocks within the box held in position by thetransverse pins.

'6. In a draft gear, a draw bar, front and rear followers, tensionmembers at the sides 20 of the draw bar and followers, a spring boxinclosed between the tension members and followers, the box being formedof four metal sheets having apertures in-alinement and meanspassing'through the apertures to 5 hold the spring box in assembledposition.

Signed by me at Baltimore, Maryland, this 8th day of March, 1915.

THOMAS H. SYMINGTON.

Witnesses:

I. O. WRIGHT, JENNIE FARSON.

